Eel holder



Feb. 27, 1940. H, -r Re. 21,375

'EEL HOLDER Original Filed May 11, 1936 FIG; 1

INVENTOR; (jam ye 77f TiZZi/nyhwfi,

A TTORNE YS.

Reissued Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original No. 2,091,893,

dated August 31, 1937,

Serial No. 79,156, May 11 1936; Application for reissue June 9, 1939;, SerialNo. 278,331

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a new and improved holder and finds its greatest use in the holding of fish and more especially eels for the purpose of dislodging the hook from the same.

The primary object of the invention is the.

provision of a holder adapted to receive a fish of the eel type so as to facilitate the removal of the hook from a struggling, freshly caught eel.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a holder which permits the removal of a hook from a fish, eel or the like without contact or injury to the hand, which often occurs with a struggling fish or eel.

As will be apparent from the following description of one form of device, my holder preferably not only clamps or grips the eel or creature to be dealt with, but affords guidance to facilitate proper introduction of the eel to the gripper, and also encloses and restrains the eel more or less, and protects the fisherman from contact with it. Besides a pair of relatively movable members coacting and manipulated like tongs or pliers to grip the eel, there is a hollow body or tube associated with the gripper, for guiding the eel thereto and enclosing it, which is shown attached to or forming part of one of the relatively movable members. The hollow body or tube has a longitudinal slot through its side to receive the fishing line with the eel hooked on it, so that the eel may be drawn into the tube to extend lengthwise in its bore. With these parts, if desired, may be associated a guard device against which the head of the eel is drawn when it is brought to proper position for being gripped and unhooked from the line.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of the application.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the new and improved eel holder and illustrating its use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder and illustrating an eel completely encased therein.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational. view, partly in section, and disclosing the position of the head of the eel when removing a hook.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational View of the holder and illustrating particularly the clamping means, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top elevational view of one end of the holder.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view,

taken as indicated by the line and arrows G6 in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof, the invention comprises a tube 6 having one end' thereof bell-shaped, as indicated at and a slot 8 extending thruout the entire length of the tube 6. The slot Bserves asa guide for the line Shaving an eel or the like I0 caught thereon.

Fixedly secured to the forward end ll of the tube 6 by means of an arm riveted or otherwise secured as at L! to said tube is a forked member I4 and pliers l5 for the purpose of holding the head of the eel so as to remove the hook. The member It has a pair of arms l6 diverging to the shape of a Y and extending therefrom is a longitudinal arm l1 integrally attached to the pliers I5. As illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the head of the eel will be projected thru the tube 6 until it abuts the member I4,

The pliers f5 are composed of two sections "3 and I9 pivotally connected at 2|]. The section l9 has extending therefrom a pair of tong members 2|, which are suitably spaced and of the curvature as indicated in the drawing. 25

The end ll of tube 6 is secured by the rivets l3 to one of the tong members 2|, (see Figs. 4,

5, and 6) and thus forms the acting face of this member, while the part I! is carried by the other tong member 2|'. The section I8 has extending 30 therefrom a single tong 22 curved in a direction opposite to the tongs 2| and positioned substantially centrally thereof, as better illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawing. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, the members 2|, 22 appearing 35 side by side somewhat suggest fingers or prongs of a fork. It will be noted that the arrangement of the tongs 2| and 22 provides a substantially cylindrical opening thru which the head portion of the fish or eel extends. Compressin the sections I8 and IQ of the pliers I5 will compress the neck of the eel and tend to cause an opening of its jaws so that the hook lodged therein may be readily removed. A further compression of the sections l8 and I9 will serve to kill 45 the eel instantly since the neck will be broken.

A spring 23 may be providedattached to the sections l8 and I9 for returning the same to normal position upon release of pressure thereon.

From the above description, the operation of the device is readily apparent. A struggling eel is drawn from the water and the line supporting the eel is grasped in the right hand a few inches above the head of the eel. The pliers I'5 are held in the left hand with the split tube 6 held in a 55 downward position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The line directly below the finger tips is positioned within the slot 8 at the outer bell-shaped'end I and said line is moved toward the opposite end of the tube, whereupon the eel will be drawn into the tube. As soon as the head of the eel has reached the end ll of the tube, the line 9 is lowered within the jaws of the pliers and forked member l4 and drawn forwardly until the head of the eel abuts the forked member I4, whereupon the tongs 2| and 22 are closed with suflicient pressure to securely hold the eel while the hook is being removed. In this con nection it is noticeable that the tongs 2! remain substantially stationary and the tong 22 is mov able thru and past the double or fixed prongs of the tongs 2|.

closed, thereby breaking the eels neck and causing instant death. This position of the pliers is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

It will be readily understood that the use of the present invention permits the disengagement of a hook from the mouth of a fish, eel, or the like, without the hands of the fisherman coming in direct contact with the fish and also minimizes the possibility of the entanglement of a fishing line which often occurs when an eel is hooked thereon.

It is to be understood that this improvement is capable of extended application and .is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a tube having a longitudinal slot therein, pivoted members disposed at one end of said tube If it is desired to kill the eel more pressure is applied and the tongs completely a longitudinal slot in the side of said body, one

end of said body being bell shaped and the other end supporting a pair of pivoted tongs and an upright guard member integral with one of said pivoted tongs.

4- A device of the character described comprising a body having a longitudinal bore therein, a longitudinal slot in the side of said body, and a pair of pivoted members attached to one end of said body, said members being formed with interengaging prong-shaped fingers.

5. A device of the character described comprising a body having a longitudinal bore therein, a longitudinal slot in the side of said body, one end of said body being bell-shaped and the other end supporting a pair of pivoted members, said members including prong-shaped fingers.

6 A device of the character described comprising a body having a longitudinal bore and a longitudinal slot through its side, and a pair of hand-operated pivoted members attached to one end of said body and formed with coacting tong portions for gripping a creature extending in the bore.

7. A device of the character described comprising pliers including coacting tong portions for gripping a creature to be held, with a tube attached at one end to one of said portions, and having a longitudinal slot through its side.

GEORGE H. TILLINGHAST. 

